Azincourt - Bernard Cornwell

...English 'Agincourt').

Azincourt focuses primarily on the famous battle and events leading up to it as seen through the eyes of one William Hook, an outlaw turned archer in the English army. It’s an interesting perspective owing to the central role of archers in the English campaign against the French, although as protagonists go, he is at times somewhat difficult to warm to, and frankly doesn’t talk enough, or with sufficient depth, ...
...though, the true value of Azincourt lies in the battle scenes, recreated painstakingly and (according to the author) with much historical research (most of the character names, including William Hook, are lifted directly from historical records). It is in these moments that Hook, and the novel itself, come to life. The skills of a trained archer are depicted with supreme clarity, and the raft of sensations that come with combat – blood, death, fear, ... more

I hadn't read any Bernard Cornwell before I picked this up, but it was only £3 from Tesco, and struck a chord after I'd recently looked into the life and times of Henry V - the last proper monarch we've had (i.e. one who wanders around picking fights with anyone who looks at him a bit funny). I was also quite keen to learn why Cornwell had conspired to misspell the title (it turns out his is the French spelling, as opposed to the English 'Agincourt').

Azincourt focuses primarily on the famous battle and events leading up to it as seen through the eyes of one William Hook, an outlaw turned archer in the English army. It’s an interesting perspective owing to the central role of archers in the English campaign against the French, although as protagonists go, he is at times somewhat difficult to warm to, and frankly doesn’t talk enough, or with sufficient depth, to become wholly likeable. Indeed, Sir William Cornewaille, Hook’s commander, steals the show with his brash, soldierly jingoism and unshakeable confidence on the battlefield. A surprisingly mundane and domestic love-interest does little to improve Hook’s position.

Cornwell adds a mystical dimension through Hook’s conversations with a pair of long-dead local saints who seem to have patronised him, as well as through Henry V’s belief that God is ‘on his side’. Whilst this isn’t necessarily something that I would look for in a work of historical fiction, it does give a feel for the piety of the age, whilst raising interesting questions about the things men do in the name of religion.

As should be expected in an historical novel by the likes of Cornwell, though, the true value of Azincourt lies in the battle scenes, recreated painstakingly and (according to the author) with much historical research (most of the character names, including William Hook, are lifted directly from historical records). It is in these moments that Hook, and the novel itself, come to life. The skills of a trained archer are depicted with supreme clarity, and the raft of sensations that come with combat – blood, death, fear, panic, revulsion, terror – commingle into a tense and gory whole.

Such moments serve to lift this above the ordinary. It’s not spectacular by any means, but it does precisely what you’d expect, and serves as a great primer to one of the most important battles in British history. For fans of historical fiction, it’s a must-read.

Overall it’s a decent package, with appendices giving historical insight into the battle and the yew bows put to such deadly use by the English. There's also an interview with the author.

 

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